Over 20,000 attend Hizbul chief Wani’s burial in Srinagar

Shouting pro-Islam and pro-Azadi slogans, mourners at the burial appeared surcharged as youths raised slogans vowing to follow Wani's path

More than 20,000 people on Saturday attended the burial of top Hizbul commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani in south Kashmir’s Tral town.

People from different parts of Pulwama district gathered at Shariefabad (Tral) to attend the burial of Wani, who was killed along with two of his associates in a gunfight with security forces in Bamdoora (Kokernag) village of Anantnag district on Friday.

Shouting pro-Islam and pro-Azadi slogans, mourners at the burial appeared surcharged as youths raised slogans vowing to follow Wani’s path.

The authorities, allowing the burial procedure, withdrew all security forces deployed around the ground to prevent clashes with the agitated people.

The authorities had imposed a curfew in the entire Pulwama district, but the people had come to attend Wani’s burial by defying the curfew restrictions.

Mobile internet services were suspended throughout the Valley on Saturday to prevent spread of rumours.